Path of Secrets Read online

  Path of Secrets

  Book Four of the Vital Secrets Series

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Path of Secrets (Vital Secrets, #4)

  The Vital Secrets Series

  COPYRIGHT

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Author’s Note:

  Carnival of Secrets, Book Five of the Vital Secrets Series, will be coming out in Spring 2021

  D.F. Hart

  A Collaboration with

  K. W. Branzell

  The Vital Secrets Series

  Wall of Secrets (prequel)

  Book of Secrets

  List of Secrets

  Web of Secrets

  Path of Secrets

  Carnival of Secrets – Spring 2021

  House of Secrets – Fall 2021

  End of Secrets – Spring 2022

  Visit 2ofharts.com to sign up for my newsletter and get a special bonus supplement to the series!

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  COPYRIGHT

  Copyright © 2020 by D.F. Hart

  Library of Congress Control Number: PENDING

  ISBN: Softcover 978-1-952008-05-4

  eBook 978-1-952008-04-7

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Custom Cover Design commissioned for D.F. Hart’s Vital Secrets Series by:

  Rocking Book Covers

  Published 10/30/2020 by 2 Of Harts Publishing

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  To my fabulous collaborator K.W. Branzell, who gets in the zone when she’s researching interesting ways to kill (and who, as a result, I really, truly hope I never make mad at me – Love you, Mom!).

  And a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the friendly and knowledgeable staff that I met while visiting locations along the Texas Forts Trail. Thanks to you, the spectacular backdrops for this story’s events are historically accurate:

  Conner, at Fort Richardson

  Brent, at Fort Chadbourne

  Brenda Lee, at Fort Concho, and

  Kevin, at Fort McKavett.

  Warm Regards,

  D.F. Hart

  PROLOGUE

  He was summoned to his Editor-in-Chief’s office on Friday, November sixteenth.

  “Have a seat, son. This shouldn’t take long,” the gray-haired gentleman said, indicating the chair across the desk from him.

  “Yes, sir,” Grant Forrester, a copy editor at The Best of Texas! magazine, replied as he settled in to listen.

  “Grant, I’ll get right to the point. I like the pitch you made,” the editor began, looking at Grant over his reading glasses. “Not only do I think it’s a hell of an idea to keep our readership growing, I know for a fact that only one person in this whole place has the passion – the drive – to pull this off.”

  “Yes, sir,” Grant replied. “And they’re going to need all my notes about it, aren’t they, sir?”

  “Nope,” the editor said, and smiled. “No need to hand your notes over.”

  “But, sir, they’re going to need...”

  A raised hand cut off Grant’s comments.

  “No, son, I don’t believe you’re following me here,” the editor chuckled. “I’m trying to tell you I’m promoting you, Grant. I want you to be the new Arts and Entertainment columnist, and I want you to take this ‘Experience the Texas Fort Trails’ idea of yours and run with it.”

  Grant was momentarily stunned but recovered quickly. “Thank you, sir; I’ve been hoping for an opportunity like this.”

  “I know you have, and you deserve it, Grant. So,” his boss said, “where are you going to start?”

  “I think the ‘Christmas at Fort Concho’ event in San Angelo would be ideal, sir. It starts the Monday after Thanksgiving.”

  “Well, then, I guess you’d better make some travel plans, Grant. Congratulations, son. I look forward to reading your articles,” the editor told him as he stood and extended his hand.

  It’s really happening. After four years in the trenches, I’m finally getting a chance to be a features columnist for the most prestigious magazine in the state! Grant thought to himself as he left the big boss’s office. And I don’t intend to waste it.

  By the time I’m through, everyone in Texas will know my name.

  CHAPTER ONE

  By noon Saturday, the last box had been loaded into the moving truck, and the ‘For Sale’ sign was already prominently displayed in the yard.

  “Should we take one last look around, make sure we didn’t miss anything?” Donny suggested, and Lizzie nodded.

  “Good idea. I’ll take downstairs, you handle upstairs?”

  He grinned. “Meet you back here at the front door.”

  Elizabeth Zimmerman, former Seattle detective, was embarking on a new chapter of her career. She’d been accepted into the FBI Academy, and once she completed the five-month program, she already knew where she would be assigned – in Dallas, as part of BAU Agent Nathan Thomas’ team.

  She walked slowly through each room downstairs, looking in each drawer, gazing at each shelf, making sure she’d packed up everything of value to her.

  Strange, she mused. I’ve lived here most of my adult life. You’d think I’d be more upset about leaving.

  But she wasn’t.

  Ever since she’d caught her ex-fiancé cheating on her three years earlier – not just under her own roof, but in her own bed - she’d felt no emotional attachment to this place. Quite the opposite, in fact. The structure had felt more like a prison, a heavy ponderous chain tying her to a hurtful past.

  I hope whoever owns it next has happier times here, Lizzie told herself as she finished checking the rooms and returned to the front door to wait for Donny.

  As he came down the stairs toward her, she couldn’t help but smile. Donny Atherton, my boyfriend, her brain echoed, and her smile grew bigger.

  They’d started off sharing a heartbreaking commonality - being involved with someone who turned out to be anything but stable. Lizzie and Donny had started to spend time together, beginning with the day they’d both had to testify in court about their experiences. A solid friendship had grown from their shared tragedy, and recently the friendship had become much, much more.

  And now? Now, I cannot imagine life without him, Lizzie thought to herself, and sighed happily. If someone had told me three years ago that I would be this happy, I’d have said they were nuts.

  “What?” he asked her as he stepped down to the living room floor and moved toward her.

  “Honestly?”

 
“Always.”

  “Just thinking how funny it is that things worked out the way they did,” she confessed. “I was determined to just... focus on work, and that’s it. I was done with relationships, determined to be by myself, if only out of spite.”

  “And now?” he smirked as he put his arms around her.

  “Now, I’m so glad I was wrong,” Lizzie answered, and kissed him. “You ready?”

  “Yep,” Donny said. “We just need to get your SUV hooked up on the tow dolly. Other than that, I believe we’re ready to go.”

  They stepped outside and Lizzie locked the door for the last time, then pulled the housekey off of her keyring.

  “Here goes,” she said, and using the code the realtor had given her, opened the lockbox and placed the key inside, then closed the lockbox again.

  Ten minutes later, they had her SUV connected securely, and they both climbed up into the cab of the moving truck.

  “You grabbed it, right?” he asked, and she chuckled.

  “You bet I did,” Lizzie answered, holding up the mini cooler and the bag of snacks they’d selected for the road trip. “What would you like first?”

  ***

  “I’m thinking have everyone over here,” Bella Thomas pondered out loud as she, Nathan and Charlie had lunch. “You think Jandy would mind? I know she normally hosts Thanksgiving.”

  Nathan shrugged. “I honestly don’t think she’d mind. But there’s only one way to know, and that’s ask her.”

  Bella scooped up her cell phone to call her sister-in-law, then shrieked as it rang in her hand.

  “Hey sis,” she began. “Your timing is awesome. I was just about to call you.”

  “Hey,” Jandy said, breathless and upset.

  Bella immediately noticed her tone. “What’s wrong?”

  “Our house is gone.”

  “What? Hang on a second, let me put you on speaker,” Bella replied, and did just that. “Okay, what do you mean your house is gone?”

  “I put a roast in the oven this morning, to cook all day like I usually do. Then I left to go run some errands. I was gone two hours, tops. When I got back, the house was on fire, guys,” she managed. “Thick black smoke everywhere. There are four fire trucks out here trying to put it out as we speak. But from the looks of things, our home is a total loss.”

  “Was anyone hurt?” Bella asked.

  “No, thank God,” Jandy said. “The kids are off doing their own thing and Tony’s at work.”

  “How can we help?” Nathan asked.

  “Oh, honey, I have no idea right now,” came the answer over the speaker.

  “I do,” Bella piped up. “You can plan on coming here and staying as long as you need to. We have two bedrooms ready and waiting. You and Tony can take one, and the kids can take the other.”

  “It will most likely just be me and Tony,” Jandy told them. “Lauren and Jordan have already said they’re going back to campus on Friday anyway, and they haven’t spent a single night at home so far – they’ve been hanging out with their friends.”

  “Do you need us to come help with anything?”

  “Not at the moment,” she said, and Nathan was glad to hear she sounded a bit more like her usual self. “Once I get the all-clear from the fire department, I’ll be able to go in and see if anything can be salvaged. But like I said, I’m pretty sure nothing is left.”

  “Well, if you change your mind on that part, all you have to do is tell us,” Nathan told her. “Just know, it could be a day or two before they let you in there.”

  His big sister sighed.

  “I know,” she answered. “Tony and I will be at your house later, probably around seven. And thanks, guys.”

  “No need to thank us, sis,” Bella said warmly. “This is family. This is what we do. See you tonight. And when you get here, we’ll have dinner, and start brainstorming a battle plan, all right?”

  A loud sniffle, then, “You chose well, Nathan. I love you both to pieces. See you tonight.”

  ***

  Joe Wallace smoothed down his hair and straightened his tie in the mirror, then checked his watch. Six o’clock. Almost time to go pick up Trish for our date.

  They’d been seeing each other for over eight months, both seemingly content to keep a slow and steady pace.

  Until recently, that is.

  He checked his appearance one last time, and before he left his house, he made sure that the delicate engagement ring he planned to propose with was safely tucked away in the breast pocket of his suit jacket.

  Here goes nothing, he thought, and walked with purpose out to his car.

  ***

  Lizzie and Donny made a fuel and food stop in Pendleton, Oregon before continuing their trip to the southeast.

  Not too long before they got to Boise, Donny looked over and asked, “Where would you like to stop for the night?’

  “You mean we’re not going to attempt to drive straight through?” Lizzie remarked. “I’m glad to hear that. This isn’t exactly the world’s most comfortable seat.”

  “I know, right?” Donny grinned. “Mine isn’t either. I could use a break from it. So, what do you think?”

  “Boise works for me, and we’re only ten miles away,” she pointed out.

  Despite the quality of the moving truck’s bucket seats, both of them were in a relaxed mood. Lizzie’s Quantico program didn’t start until December first, which gave them plenty of time to navigate the 3,388-mile journey at a comfortable pace.

  “I almost forgot to tell you, we’ve been invited to Thanksgiving with the Thomas clan,” Lizzie mentioned.

  “Sounds like fun! Do we need to bring anything?”

  “I told Faith to let Jandy know we could cover drinks,” she answered. “I wasn’t sure about much else, given that we’re on the road.”

  “Okay, so, that’s easy. We’ll stop before we get to Denton and pick up some two-liter bottles.”

  “Cool,” Lizzie said. “I need to touch base with Faith anyway, so, I will confirm with her.”

  Lizzie pulled out her cell and fired off a quick text. She was surprised when instead of texting back, Faith called her.

  “Hey bestie, what’s up?”

  “Quite a bit, but you go first. Where are you guys?”

  “Just coming into Boise,” Lizzie relayed. “We’re going to stop for the night. What’s going on there?”

  “Well,” Faith said, “Jandy called me earlier. It seems Thanksgiving is being moved to Nathan and Bella’s house. Jandy and Tony’s place burned down earlier today.”

  “Oh no!” Lizzie gasped. “Are they all right?”

  Donny shot her a concerned look and she mouthed I’ll tell you later.

  “They’re fine, just upset,” Faith answered. “Sounds like they might not be able to salvage anything at all.”

  “Well, we’ll be in town for a couple of days, at least, before we have to head to Virginia,” Lizzie reminded her. “So, tell Jandy that if they need any extra hands, I’m volunteering us. Do they have a place to stay?”

  “They’re staying with Bella and Nathan.”

  Lizzie and Faith talked for a few more minutes, and as Donny pulled into the parking lot of a hotel, Lizzie ended the call with, “I’ll reach out tomorrow, okay?”

  ***

  Grant smiled as he drilled down into the ‘Christmas at Fort Concho’ website and found what he was looking for.

  “Edward Baker,” he murmured, making a note. “That’s who I need to interview, from the sounds of it.”

  He typed out an email of introduction, including his desire to speak with the man about Fort Concho’s history, and hit ‘send’.

  “Okay,” Grant murmured, “now I just need to line out a place to stay while I’m there. But first, dinner.”

  His phone rang just as he finished placing his delivery order from his favorite Chinese restaurant’s website.

  “Hey, Mom,” he said, a warm smile creasing his face. “I’ve been meaning to call you
and Dad. Guess what happened at work yesterday?”

  “You got the promotion, didn’t you?” Bernice Forrester asked.

  He chuckled. “How did you know?”

  “Because you sound like a little kid at Christmas,” she told him, and made him laugh out loud.

  “I probably do,” he conceded. “I’m just so jazzed to finally get a chance to prove myself as a columnist instead of making sure other people’s articles are error-free.”

  “I know you’ve had this dream for a while, honey, and I’m so proud of you! Now, tell me all about it. What’s your first piece going to focus on?”

  “The Texas Forts Trail,” he said. “Starting with Fort Concho, in San Angelo.”

  “I’ve never heard of that, and I’ve lived in Texas all my life,” his mother remarked. “Sounds intriguing – and fun for you, too. You’ve always been a history buff.”

  He walked her through his concept for the series.

  “The cool part is, each location has at least one event going on yearly to commemorate the history,” he concluded. “So, my thought is to almost make this a guide of sorts – experience the places and events firsthand and share it all with my readers.”

  “And I think you’ll do brilliantly,” Bernice said. “You’re not traveling this week, are you?”

  “And miss your amazing cooking? No way. I’ll come home on Thursday for Thanksgiving like we planned, Mom,” Grant confirmed.

  She laughed, and as always, the sound warmed him.

  “So, what’s Dad up to?”

  “He’s still not home from work yet,” Bernice revealed, the laughter leaving her voice. “They’ve got him working all sorts of extra hours. That boss of his is too cheap to hire enough people to cover all the routes.”

  “They’re treating him like that after thirty-one years of service. Seriously?”

  “I’m afraid so, honey,” she said, “and I’m worried about him. They’re running him into the ground.”

  Grant shook his head in frustration as he listened to his mother vocalize her concerns about her husband’s health.

  “That’s not right,” he grumbled.